Help Secure Permanent Emergency Shelter

Mary Open doors once again extends heartfelt thank you to all our supporters and donors local and international. Our doors remains open because you care enough to help us.

As we continue to experience the devastating results of domestic violence in our beautiful country of Belize, Mary Open Doors continues to seek to become an effective force combating this epidemic. Reaching our goal and a significant milestone of owning our safe shelter will definitely enable us to meet the challenge of sustainability.   We continue to receive walk-ins requesting shelter and support, counselling and food. Listening to cases of abuse and corruption that destroy families, we are moved by compassion to continue to assist where possible with limited resources.  Assistance given by MOD has enabled a single parent, mother of three male children to secure employment, school supplies and encouragement through her struggles has kept her focus in her daily challenges. Supporting her emotionally and spiritually has contributed to her finding that inner strength and has helped to develop her self-esteem, respect and dignity to move forward with her life. One of the challenges moving forward was getting a valid social Security card because of being uneducated. MOD have assisted her through the application process to receiving a valid social security card.  This has enable her to become employed. Amazingly, she has been voted a most needed recipient by another organization and a house was donated to her which she now calls home. She has been given the resources to rebuild herself and her life; when asked how she feels, she replied “I feel like a new person”.

We are currently involved in the structuring of our Policy and Procedure Manual for our shelter in collaborating with the Government’s women department to ensure that our standard of operations is cohesive with the other two shelters in the country. We have also partnered with local travel business, “Let’s Go Belizing” who have added our organization and cause to their web site and linked us with “Pack for a Purpose”, a channel to receive donations for the shelter. As we continue our efforts to secure the shelter, we are currently planning a raffle to be held early next year 2019.

Links:

• New Mary Open Doors Website

As we move forward consistently striving to assist our community through educating and restoring families affected by domestic violence, we must also continue to be thankful to those who have open their hearts to giving to our cause, to our long-term and short-term donors and supporters we extend this simple word of THANKS with gratitude our appreciation to you and your families.

We have had two new client, one client in transition, assisting 1 hiv+ client in final stages, counselling and education outreach, and assistance to single mothers with school supplies. These are only few of the many ways in which our small but effective organization continues to reach out to those in need. Women from MOD has team up with local agency TEP(Toucan Education Program) where they were given an opportunity to be involved in a cultural exchange program which brought them the much needed financial assistance. This will give one of them the help needed to start the process of transitioning from MOD into society stronger and better prepared physically mentally and spiritually. Also, on July 14^th 2018, MOD with assistance of Karolina a TEP volunteer hosted its first annual “Summer Strings Benefit Concert” fundraiser geared towards our goal of purchasing our shelter by the end of 2018. After purchasing the shelter we are hoping to make this event our yearly signature event to assist with the sustainability of the organization. Big thank-you to TEP Staff and volunteers. We are in the process of coordinating a fundraising raffle also slated for December 2018. We must not lose hope, so we count on your prayers and support in any form to continue to do this work.

Lastly the work that we do at Mary Open Doors with your generous support has received recognition from the United States Embassy Belize in collaboration with the Women’s Department through our co-founder Anna Silva, who was awarded woman of the year 2018. It is only with your help that our work can be done and our doors continue to be open to those in need.

Links:

• Mary Open Doors Website